50 years ago, in August 1956, more than 260 miners died due to a fire in the "Bois du Cazier" mine in Marcinelle (Belgium, near Charleroi). http://www.leboisducazier.be/old/lg_en/esp...t/esp_8aout.htm

To commemorate this tragedy, the Belgian Mint issues a €10 coin this month. It shows parts of the mine and, in front, the head of a miner. (A very similar miner's head appeared on the 20 centimes coins 1953-63 and the 50 centimes coins 1952-2000.) The new collector coin comes in two different versions:

€10 silver proof http://treasury.fgov.be/intermunt/images/10eur-cazier-vz.jpg (price about 30 euro)


€10 silver (colored) proof http://treasury.fgov.be/intermunt/images/1...-cazier-vzK.jpg (price about 45 euro)


Christian

i'm not big on "colored" coins but i like the colored version of this one. is it really colored, or is it plated with something?

Very nice coin. I have several of the older issues with that head and I like them.

Hard to tell from the image. And the mint's web site does not go into details yet. It just lists the two versions:
Zilveren 10 euro 2006 - Bois du Cazier / Binnenkort beschikbaar / € 32,50
Zilveren 10 euro 2006 - Bois du Cazier (kleur) / Binnenkort beschikbaar / € 45,00

Now "kleur" means color, but I don't know what they actually did. I am fairly sure it's not gold plated though.

Christian

The latest issue of MuntInfo/MonnaieInfo (the Belgian Mint's magazine) is now online, and provides some more info about this coin. Seems that it is indeed colored, not plated. Here is a rough and slightly abridged translation of the relevant part:

The new coin, designed by Luc Luycx, was inspired by the designs that Marcel Rau created for the 20 and 50 c bronze coins in the 1950s. This choice does not only remind of the time when the accident happened. (Note: Rau's circulation coins were designed and first issued in the early 50s, before the accident, C.F.) It is also an hommage to all the miners who have worked to improve our standard of living, and in this case even lost their lives. The maximum mintage is 50,000 coins. Only a few of these will be made in a special version where Rau's miner on the obverse is colored.

MuntInfo 41 - Dutch/Flemish version:
http://treasury.fgov.be/intermunt/MUNTINFO/MI-41%20NL.pdf
MonnaieInfo 41 - French/Walloon version:
http://treasury.fgov.be/intermunt/MUNTINFO/MI-41%20FR.pdf

(By the way, the piece on the front page is not a coin but a medal which will be part of the 2006 mint sets.)

Christian